tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Part 17 - Slokam 12 - tiruvAimozhi 1.2 Part 1.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namah.

 

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Part 17 - Slokam 12 - tiruvAimozhi.1.2-Part 1.

 

Slokam 12 (tiruvAimozhi 1.2):

 

svAmitvAt su-sthiratvAt nikhila-nirupadhi-svAtmavid-grAhya-bhAvAt

tAdRk-sarvAnukUlyAt cyavanavad-itara-prApya-vaishamyavatvAt |

sarvatrApakshapAtAt Subha-vibhavatayA mAnasAd-yarcya-bhAvAt

sa'nkoconmocakatvAt jagadanatayA upAdiSat sarva-yogyam ||

AzhvAr enjoyed bhagavAn's paratvam in the first tiruvAimozhi. In the

second, he is giving upadeSam to others. SrImad tirukkuDanthai

ANDavan points out that it is not because AzhvAr is satisfied with

the enjoyment of bhagavAn that he has turned to giving upadeSam to

others, but it is because he is overwhelmed by his joy of enjoying

bhagavAn that he wants to share his joy with others. So he is

addressing those who are receptive, and tells them that they should

discard their bad tendencies and acquire devotion to Him; he hopes

that he can then enjoy bhagavAn together with the people who have

thus become purified. The first pASuram of the second tiruvAimozhi

starts with "vIDumin muRRavum" – muRRavum vIDumin – give up

everything that is opposed to worshiping Him as the Supreme Deity.

 

The guNam that svAmi deSikan has identified for this tiruvAimozhi is

that bhagavAn is sarva-yogyan - One whom everyone should be able to

worship with equal ease (found in the lat line of Slokam 12 above);

He is sarva-saman – equally accessible to all, impartial to

everyone; He is sarva-ArAdhyan – fit to be worshiped by all. The

ten guNa-s of the ten pASuram-s of this tiruvAimozhi are those that

have been chosen such that they stand in support of this guNam at the

daSakam level.

 

- pASuram 1.2.1, starting with `vIDumin muRRavum'. The guNam

identified by svAmi deSikan is svAmivAt – Lordship over all. The

phrase that reflects this guNa in the pASuram is "um uyir vIDu

uDaiyAn iDai vIDu SeitiDumin" – surrender your AtmA to Him whose

abode it is"; or, vIDu uDaiyAn iDai – surrender to Him Who has SrI

vaikunTham as His abode. AzhvAr also tells us how to surrender to

Him – vIDumin muRRavum – give up attachment in everything else, and

surrender to Him alone as the only Object to be attained.

 

(Remember the guNa at the daSakam level, sarva yogyan (sarva saman,

sarva ArAdhyan), as we go through each pASuram. vIDu or moksham is

available equally to everyone, without distinction. BhagavAn is

sarva-saman, and is available for everyone to surrender to. SrI UV

refers us to the Upanishad vAkyam – sarvasya SaraNam suhRt – He

considers anyone who surrenders to Him unconditionally as extremely

dear to Him.

 

- pASuram 1.2.2, starting with "minnin nilai ila". The guNam

chosen by svAmi deSikan is su-sthiratvAt – He Who alone is permanent,

not subject to any change, decay, aging, birth, etc., unlike

everything else in all the worlds, which are all subject to change

and decay. Our body is even less permanent than lightning – at

least, the lightning first appears and then decays, but the body can

die in the womb itself, before even appearing outside.

 

The choice of the word su- in su-sthirtatvam of emperumAn by svAmi

deSikan is very significant. Our AtmA is also sthiram, and is

neither born nor perishes or ages. But it clings to the imperfect

body for the purpose of enjoying its karma-s. Unlike this soul of

ours, bhagavAn is su-sthiran, with no limitations of any kind.

 

In the first pASuram, AzhvAr advises us to give up attachment to

everything else, and surrender to Him. The current pASuram tells us

the reason why we should give up interest in everything else – it is

because they are all a-sthira or transient and impermanent, or sthira

with some caveats; He alone is su-sthira.

 

- pASuram 1.2.3, starting with "nIr numadu enRu ivai". The

guNam chosen for this pASuram by svAmi deSikan is 'nikhila nirupadhi

svAtmavid grAhya bhAvAt' – He Who is grasped by those who have

overcome the obstacles of the feelings of `I' and `mine'. upAdhi

means `limitation'. The upadhi-s are identified by nammAzhvAr in the

pASuram – nIr, numadu enRu ivai – the feelings of `I' and `mine'.

svAtma-vit refers to one who has realized his true nature, as one

subservient eternally to SrIman nArAyaNa, and one who has realized

that performing eternal kai'nkaryam to Him is the only goal to be

attained.

 

The choice of words by AzhvAr are very significant. nIr numadu enRu

ivai vEr mudal mAittu – completely ridding oneself of the feelings

of `I' and `mine' with all the roots – vEr mudal mAittu. iRai

SErmin – surrender to Him; uyirkku adan nEr niRai illE – there is

nothing more important or more precious for the AtmA to attain, and

this the atyanta hitam, the ultimate good for our soul. SrImad

tirukkuDanthai ANDavan refers us to the following: "acyuta! aham

tavAsmi iti sa eva samsAra bheshajam" – "acyuta! The only cure for

the affliction of samsAra is to surrender to You, with the full

faith – mahA viSvAsam, that I belong only to You, and that You will

protect me without any doubt whatsoever". SrImad ANDavan also gives

another reference from SrI vishNu purANam:

 

anAtman-yAtma-buddhir-yA asve svamiti yA matih |

avidyA taru sambhUteh bhIjam etat dvidhA sthitam || (V.P.

6.7.11)

 

"The feeling that this body which is not the soul is indeed same as

the soul, and the feeling that that this soul belongs to us when in

fact it belongs to emperumAn, are the twin seeds of the continued

growth of the tree of samsAra".

 

The ultimate limit to which those who who have realized Him rid

themselves of the aha'nkAram amd mamakAram (the feelings of `I'

and `mine') is signified by AzhvAr through the choice of his

words `nIr' and `numadu'. He is telling us: "You should get rid of

the feeling of `you' and `yours'"; he carefully avoids using the

words `we should rid of the feeling of `nAm, namadu', because he has

reached the stage where he can't even bear to say words that suggest

that he may still have any trace of the feelings of `I' or `mine'

SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan's anubhavam is that nammAzhvAr's tongue

will feel scorched if it has to utter the words `I' and 'mine'.

SrImad ANDavan's words are: "ivar `nAn', `ennuDaiyadu' enRu,

viDuvadAgac connAlum, ivaruDaiya nAkku vendu viDumAm".

 

-To be continued

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan